Der polnische Soldatenfriedhof von Monte Cassino

Only the fact.
Timeline of events leading up to world war 2 and the events of world war 2. The results of world war 1 were disastrous for some States. Germany was forbidden to have a powerful army and Navy, and restrictions were imposed on many weapons. The former Russian Empire, and now Soviet Russia, was also among the losers, especially since in 1920 the lands East of the Curzon line were transferred to Poland. Germany eventually had to negotiate with Soviet Russia to train military specialists on their territory and develop equipment and weapons to circumvent the restrictions imposed on Germany. After joining in 1933. After Hitler came to power, cooperation between Germany and Soviet Russia in the military sphere began to decline and in 1937 almost ceased. These two States were similar only in one way - they had a dictatorship. The political structure, ideology, and principles of achieving victory on a global scale were completely different. If in Germany the racial theory was proclaimed at the state level in Soviet Russia all peoples were recognized as equal. Germany considered the highest race of the Aryans, and the Germans declared themselves direct descendants of the Aryans, that is, Aryans. The two powers had completely different ways of achieving their goal - Germany pursued a policy of territorial conquest and enslavement of the population of other States, while Soviet Russia saw the achievement of its goal in the awareness of the working class of other States of its historical role and the completion of the revolution against capitalism, after which Soviet Russia planned to help such States on the material and human levels. The Pact of four is an international Treaty signed by representatives of Italy, great Britain, Germany and France on July 15, 1933 in Rome. The Treaty provided for political cooperation between the four powers in the League of Nations in order to eliminate the threat of war in Europe. It was assumed that the main efforts of the "Pact of four" would be aimed at revising certain provisions of the Versailles peace treaties of 1919-1920. (as, for example, the recognition of equal rights in armament for Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria). It was tacitly assumed that some of the borders of Versailles (between Germany and Poland and between Hungary and its neighbors) would also be subject to revision. The Declaration of non-use of force between Germany and Poland also called the non — aggression Treaty between Germany and Poland, the Pilsudski - Hitler Pact-a joint Declaration signed by Germany and Poland on January 26, 1934. The adoption of this document has contributed to the temporary normalization of relations between the two States. The text of the Declaration specifically stated that it does not cancel the obligations previously given by the governments of Germany and Poland to third countries. The Anglo-German naval agreement of 1935-a Treaty on the ratio of naval forces between England and Germany ( allowed to increase the strength of the German fleet ). Anti-Comintern Pact - "Japanese-German agreement on defense against communism", date of conclusion-November 25, 1936 The Munich agreement of 1938 between Germany, great Britain, France and Italy ( Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union were not invited to the conference ) stipulated that Czechoslovakia would liberate and cede the Sudetenland to Germany within 10 days. As a result, Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and occupied it except for the tesz region, which was occupied by Poland. Czechoslovakia could resist Germany, but Poland's refusal to allow Soviet troops to help Czechoslovakia and the further occupation of parts of Czechoslovakia by Polish troops ( after which Winston Churchill called Poland " the Hyena of Europe "), as well as pressure from England, France, and Italy, effectively ended Czechoslovak statehood. Since in the end the territories of another state were captured and then followed by a series of other captures by Germany it is from this date that it is logical to start the countdown of world war 2. Also, on September 30, 1938, a Declaration of mutual non-aggression was signed between great Britain and Germany; a little later, on December 6, a similar Declaration was signed between Germany and France. "Duesseldorf agreement" — an agreement signed in Duesseldorf on March 15, 1939, which stipulated the economic division of Europe between the monopolies of Germany and England. It was before the trip to Dusseldorf that Walter Rensimen declared-Gentlemen, the peace of Europe is in your hands! The USSR could not agree with Western countries to create a coalition against Germany as a guarantee of peace on its Western borders and was forced to conclude a non-aggression Treaty with Germany, also called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact on August 23, 1939. Germany could not agree with the Polish government about the passage to East Prussia ( the territory of Gdansk hindered) and decided to solve this issue cardinally-starting on September 1, 1939. fighting against Poland, a former ally of the occupation of Czechoslovakia, naturally secured a recently concluded agreement with the USSR on non-aggression, starting the war with a provocation in Glijvice. By September 14, the Wehrmacht had captured Brest. September 17, after the Polish government escaped and was interned in Romania. The Soviet Union carried out its troops in Eastern Poland up to the Curzon line as previously recommended by the Supreme Council of the Entente as the Eastern border of Poland in 1920. and captured by Poland from Soviet Russia under the pretext of taking under their protection the lives and property of the population of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus. After the end of the Polish company, Germany transferred the Polish lands to the USSR through the Curzon line. All the time that German troops were engaged in the East in actions against Poland, the allied Anglo-French troops did not undertake any active combat operations on land and in the air. Active military operations are conducted only on sea communications. In the course of the Soviet-Finnish negotiations of 1938-1939, the USSR tried to get Finland to cede part of the Karelian isthmus (the transfer of these territories broke the "Mannerheim line" in the most important direction, Vyborg), as well as to lease several Islands and part of the Hanko Peninsula (Gangut) for military bases, to protect its border from Leningrad ( which was almost on the border), offering in return a territory in Karelia with a total area twice the required Finnish area. Finland, unwilling to make concessions and assume military obligations, insists on concluding a trade agreement and agreeing to the remilitarization of the Aland Islands. On November 30, 1939, the USSR invaded Finland. On March 13, 1940, a peace Treaty was signed in Moscow between Finland and the USSR, according to which Soviet demands were met: the border on the Karelian isthmus near Leningrad was moved to the Northwest from 32 to 150 km, a number of Islands in the Gulf of Finland were moved to the USSR, Finland received in exchange the territories that the USSR offered to Finland before the start of hostilities. On April 9, 1940, Germany invades Denmark and Norway. On may 10, 1940, Germany invades Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg with 135 divisions. On June 22, the Franco-German armistice was signed in Compiegne, in the same carriage in which the German capitulation was signed in 1918, under which France agrees to occupy most of its territory, demobilize almost the entire land army, and internment the Navy and air force. In the free zone, as a result of the July 10 coup, the authoritarian regime of Petain (Vichy Regime) is established, which has taken a course of close cooperation with Germany. France lost. Back in the autumn of 1939, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania signed mutual aid agreements with the USSR, on June 17, 1940, the USSR issued an ultimatum to the Baltic States, with active support from Moscow, state coups were simultaneously taking place in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Governments that are friendly to Communists come to power, and in the conditions of a significant Soviet military presence, uncontested elections to the Supreme authorities are held. On August 3, the Lithuanian SSR, on August 5, the Latvian SSR, and on August 6, the Estonian SSR were admitted to the USSR. Great Britain, left almost alone in the European theater of war, continues to resist Germany. In 1940. The United States is beginning to actively help England in the war with Germany, despite the fact that the US government on September 5, 1939. made a Declaration of neutrality in the war that began in Europe. During the entire period after the occupation of France and until June 22, 1941. Germany continues its aggressive policy and occupies the Mediterranean and the Balkans. Joint efforts with Italy are fighting in North Africa. Early Sunday morning, June 22, 1941, Germany declared war on the Soviet Union. For the USSR, the Great Patriotic war began in Europe before it did not participate in the war. At the initial stage using the surprise and concentration of the Wehrmacht Germany achieved great success capturing most of the European USSR and reaching November 1941. to the outskirts of Moscow. The defense of Odessa lasted 2 months. During the heroic defense of the red army there were about 41,000 total losses, the total losses of German-Romanian troops in the area of Odessa amounted to more than 160 thousand soldiers, about 200 aircraft and up to 100 tanks Until the end of September 1941. The red army irrevocably lost 430 578 people. killed and missing, captured – 1 699 099 people.Germany irrevocably lost more than 200,000, more than 400,000 wounded. In the battle of Moscow from November 15, 1941. until December 1941. ( thanks to Sorge's information from Japan that Japan was not planning an attack on the USSR, Siberian divisions of the red army were transferred to Moscow from the far East ) the Wehrmacht suffered a crushing defeat. Being 25 km from Moscow, it was pushed back 150-200 km from Moscow. The number of troops and military equipment of the red army to the beginning of the operation - 1.250.000 people., guns and mortars-7.600 units., tanks and self-propelled guns-990 units., aircraft – 677 units. The number of troops and military equipment of the Wehrmacht to the beginning of the revolution - 1.750.000 people., guns and mortars-13.680 units., tanks and self-propelled guns-1.683 units, aircraft-1.354 units. Losses - red army irretrievable losses – 139.586 people. December 7, 1941, Japan strikes the American naval base pearl Harbor. During the attack, which involved 441 aircraft based on six Japanese aircraft carriers, 8 battleships, 6 cruisers and more than 300 us aircraft were sunk and severely damaged. Us entry into the war. Since November 1941, lend lease extends to the USSR, but since November 1941. and until the second half of 1943, deliveries are not regular, of the promised England 800 aircraft and 1000 tanks, which the USSR was supposed to receive in October-December 1941, received 669 aircraft (for comparison-on October 1, 1941, as part of the 3 fronts that protected Moscow, there were 568 aircraft and 389 of them serviceable) and 487 tanks. The United States from October 1941 to June 30, 1942 sent to the USSR 545 aircraft, 783 tanks, more than 3 times less than promised, as well as 16,502 trucks, that is, more than 5 times less than planned. On December 8, the Japanese block the British military base in Hong Kong and launch an invasion of Thailand, British Malaya, and the American Philippines. On December 10, the Japanese capture the American base on the island of GUAM, on December 23-on Wake island, on December 25, Hong Kong fell. on December 8, the Japanese break through the British defenses in Malaya and, rapidly advancing, push the British troops back to Singapore. Singapore, which had previously been considered an "impregnable fortress" by the British, fell on February 15, 1942, after a 6-day siege. By the end of may 1942, Japan, at the cost of minor losses, managed to establish control over Southeast Asia and northwestern Oceania. American, British, Dutch, and Australian forces have suffered a crushing defeat, losing all their main forces in the region. In the first half of 1942, the loss of Anglo-American ships in the Atlantic again increases. German submarines are operating in almost all the waters of the Atlantic ocean. In the summer of 1941, all German aircraft operating in the Mediterranean were transferred to the Soviet-German front. This facilitates the tasks of the British, who, taking advantage of the passivity of the Italian fleet, seize the initiative in the Mediterranean. On may 26, 1942, Germany and Italy resume their offensive in Libya. The British suffer heavy losses and are again forced to retreat. On June 21, the English garrison in Tobruk surrenders. The Italo-German forces continue to advance successfully and on July 1 they approach the British defensive line at El Alamein, 60 km from Alexandria, where they are forced to stop due to heavy losses. On the Eastern front on January 8, 1942, the forces of the Kalinin, Western and North-Western front go on the offensive against the German army group Center, the Wehrmacht preserves the Rzhev-Vyazemsky bridgehead, which is a danger to Moscow. Attempts by the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts to unblock Leningrad were also unsuccessful and led to the encirclement of part of the Volkhov front's forces in March 1942.. Meanwhile, both the Soviet and German sides were waiting for the summer of 1942 to implement their offensive plans. The Soviet offensive at Kharkiv, launched in may 1942, ended in failure. The German troops managed to parry the blow, defeated the Soviet troops and went on the offensive themselves. Soviet troops also suffered a crushing defeat in the Crimea. 9 months of Soviet sailors held Sevastopol, the losses of the red Army and Navy during the defense of Sevastopol amounted to more than 200 thousand people, the Germans and Romanians lost killed, missing, wounded in the battles near Sevastopol more than 300 thousand people. and by July 4, 1942, the remnants of Soviet troops were evacuated to Novorossiysk. As a result, the Soviet defense in the southern sector was weakened. Taking advantage of this, the German command launched a strategic offensive in two directions: Stalingrad and the Caucasus.After fierce fighting near Voronezh and in the Donbass, the German troops of army group B managed to break into the big bend of the don. In mid-July, the battle of Stalingrad began, which ended with the encirclement and destruction of 300,000 Wehrmacht units and the capture of field Marshal Paulus on February 2, 1943. On 19 November 1942. Operation Uranus has begun. Forces of the red Army - more than 1.1 million people, 1560 tanks, more than 15 thousand guns and mortars, more than 1.9 thousand aircraft, Germany-about 1 million people, 675 tanks, more than 10 thousand guns and mortars, aircraft over 1.2 thousand. During the battle of Stalingrad, the red Army lost 1,129,619 men; the Wehrmacht and its allies (Italians, Romanians, Hungarians, Croats) lost about 1.5 million men. Army group A, which was advancing on the Caucasus, took Rostov-on-don on July 23 and continued its offensive on Kuban. On August 12, Krasnodar was taken. However, in the battles in the foothills of the Caucasus and near Novorossiysk, the Soviet troops managed to stop the enemy. In August 1942, the Germans captured Stavropol and Maykop, and on October 28 they captured Nalchik. the Soviet troops were able to stop them only at the approaches to Ordzhonikidze and Malgobek. At Malgobek, elements of the SS Viking division suffered a crushing defeat. By the end of January 24, 1943. The red army liberated Mozdok, Pyatigorsk, Armavir, and Krasnodar on February 12. Since April 17, active fighting has stopped on most sections of the front. in 1943, the red army launched an offensive in the Central and South-Western directions of the Soviet Union. front's. However, the Rzhev-Sychevsky operation conducted from July 30 to the end of September was not successful. At this time, a major naval battle of world war II in the Pacific, which took place in June 1942, is called the Battle of midway Atoll. The decisive victory of the US Navy over the Combined Japanese fleet was a turning point in the war in the Pacific. The Japanese fleet, which lost 4 heavy aircraft carriers, 248 aircraft and the best pilots, was forever unable to operate effectively outside the zones of coastal aviation cover. On the Eastern front, the battle of the Kursk bulge took place from July 5 to August 23, 1943. It was attended by about 2 million people, 6 thousand tanks, 4 thousand aircraft. As a result, the Oryol grouping of German troops was defeated, and the Oryol strategic bridgehead occupied by it was liquidated, as well as the Belgorod-Kharkiv grouping of the Wehrmacht was defeated.From 5 to 23 July 1943, the Germans lost 70,000 dead, 3,095 tanks and self-propelled guns, 844 field guns, 1,392 aircraft, and over 5,000 vehicles. The radical change in the course of the great Patriotic war, which began at Stalingrad, was completed in the battle of Kursk and the battle of the Dnieper. At the same time, the coalition Forces conducted the Sicilian operation, which did not affect the battle of Kursk, since the Germans were transferring forces from West to East, so "the defeat of the Wehrmacht in the battle of Kursk facilitated the actions of Anglo-American troops in Italy." From August 24, 1943 to December 23, 1943.. the battle of the Dnieper took place, during which significant red Army forces crossed the river, created several strategic bridgeheads on the right Bank of the river, and liberated the city of Kiev. The battle of the Dnieper became one of the largest battles in world history. On both sides, up to 4 million people took part in the battle, and its front stretched for 750 kilometers. As a result of a four-month operation, the left-Bank Ukraine was almost completely liberated by the red army from the Nazi invaders. On July 10, 1943, the allies landed in Sicily. In September 1943, Anglo-American troops landed in the South of the Appennine Peninsula. By January 1944, the allies had reached the German winter line fortifications around Monte Cassino and the Garigliano river. In January, February and March 1944, they attacked German positions three times in order to break through the enemy's defenses on the Garigliano river and enter Rome, but due to the deteriorating weather, heavy rains, they failed, and the front line stabilized until may 1944. In November 1943, the allies managed to capture the Japanese island of Tarawa. At the end of 1943-the first half of 1944, the main fighting took place in the southern sector of the front. The Germans leave the territory of Ukraine. The red Army in the South reaches the border of 1941 and enters the territory of Romania. May 9, 1944. released g.Sevastopol. On June 6, 1944, the allied forces of the United States, great Britain, and Canada, after two months of diversionary maneuvers, conduct the largest amphibious operation in history and land in Normandy.In September, the allied offensive on Belgian territory begins. By the end of 1944, the Germans were having a hard time stabilizing the front line in the West. In the summer of 1944, the red army began its offensive in Eastern Belarus. By autumn, almost all the previously occupied territory of the USSR had been cleared of German troops: Belarus, Ukraine, and the Baltic States. In July 1944, the Red Army crossed the border into Poland. The uprising in Warsaw against the German occupiers was raised on August 1, 1944, by underground detachments of the home Army, when its commander, th. It seemed to Bur‑Komorovsky and the Polish emigrant government that red Army units were about to break into the capital of Poland, but the red army command was not informed of the plans of the rebels – the "London poles" refused to coordinate their actions with the Headquarters of the VGK of the USSR. Before the approach to Warsaw, the formations of the 1st Belorussian front of Marshal K. K. Rokossovsky overcame hundreds of kilometers, were weakened by heavy fighting and suffered serious losses. Despite this, Soviet troops and parts of the Polish Army made desperate attempts to break through to the rebels. However, after liberating the suburb of the Polish capital (Prague district), the Red Army faced fierce German resistance. About 500 tanks were hit on the approaches to Warsaw.More than 200,000 poles, primarily civilians, were killed during the uprising. The remnants of the home Army units operating in Warsaw surrendered to the enemy on October 2, 1944. On December 16, the Wehrmacht launched a counteroffensive in the Ardennes. The Germans manage to advance 100 km deep into Belgium, but on December 22, General Patton's American 3rd army launched a counteroffensive, attacking the Germans from the South, and by December 25, 1944, the German offensive had collapsed, and the allies launched a General counteroffensive. By December 27, the Germans did not hold the captured positions in the Ardennes and began to retreat. In February-March 1945, the allies captured all German territory West of the Rhine and crossed the Rhine during the Meuse-Rhine operation. German troops, having suffered heavy defeats in the Ardennes and Meuse-Rhine operations, retreated to the right Bank of the Rhine. In April 1945, the allies surrounded German army group B in the Ruhr and by 17 April had defeated it, and the Wehrmacht lost the Ruhr industrial area. On the Eastern ( Soviet-German ) front, the Vistula is held‑Oder strategic operations from January 12 to February 3, 1945 as a result of the war, Soviet troops completely liberate Poland from German troops and reach the border of the Oder river. Berlin is 60 km away. During the liberation of Poland from the German-fascist invaders, the USSR irrevocably lost over 600,000 people. In February 1945, the Budapest operation was carried out. At the end of April, 1945. The red army begins its offensive on Berlin. The Nazi leadership tried to prolong the war in order to achieve a separate peace with Britain and the United States and split the anti-Hitler coalition ( which did not happen ). At the same time, it was crucial to hold the front against the Soviet Union. In the course of the Berlin offensive, the Rate of the VGK of the USSR concentrated 1.9 million against the Germans. people, 6250 tanks, more than 7,500 aircraft. The allies - the Polish troops of the Ludova army-also took part: 155,900 people. German troops had: 1 million people, 1,500 tanks, more than 3,300 aircraft. Berlin itself was turned into a powerful fortified area. On April 17, the troops of the 1st Belorussian front fought a fierce battle with the enemy. By the morning of April 18, tank and rifle formations, supported by the aviation of the 16th and 18th air armies, took Zelovsky heights. Overcoming the stubborn defense of German troops and repelling violent counterattacks, the front's troops broke through the third defensive line by the end of April 19 and were able to develop the offensive on Berlin. The real threat of encirclement forced the commander of the 9th German army, T. Busse, to come out with a proposal to withdraw the army to the suburbs of Berlin and occupy a strong defense there. On April 21, units of the 3rd shock, 2nd guards tank, 47th and 5th shock armies overcame the third defense lane, broke into the outskirts of Berlin and began fighting there. Operating in the auxiliary direction, the 61st army and the 1st army of The Polish Army, starting the offensive on April 17, with persistent fighting overcame the German defense, bypassed Berlin from the North and moved to the Elbe. By the end of April 24, formations of the 28th army of the 1st Ukrainian front came into contact with units of the 8th guards army of the 1st Belorussian front, thereby encircling General Busse's 9th army Southeast of Berlin and cutting it off from the city. At 12 p.m. on April 25, the ring closed around Berlin. The Berlin garrison consisted of at least 200,000 men, 3,000 guns, and 250 tanks. The defense of the city was carefully planned and well prepared. It was based on a system of heavy fire, strong points and resistance nodes. The closer to the center of the city, the more dense the defense became. Massive stone buildings with thick walls gave it special strength. Windows and doors of many buildings were sealed up and turned into embrasures for firing. The streets were blocked by powerful barricades up to four meters thick. The defenders had a large number of faustpatrons, which turned out to be a formidable anti-tank weapon in the context of street fighting. Of no small importance in the enemy's defense system were underground structures that were widely used by the enemy for maneuvering troops, as well as for hiding them from artillery and bomb attacks. On April 30, 1945 at 21: 30, units of the 150th rifle division under the command of major General V. M. Shatilov and the 171st rifle division under the command of Colonel A. I. Negoda stormed the main part of the Reichstag building. The remaining Hitlerite units put up a stubborn resistance. April 30, 1945. A. Hitler committed suicide, had to Fight for every room. In the early morning of may 1, the assault flag of the 150th rifle division was raised over the Reichstag, but the battle for the Reichstag continued all day and only on the night of may 2, the Reichstag garrison capitulated. At 1 a.m. on may 2, the radio stations of the 1st Belorussian front received a message in Russian: "Please cease fire. We are sending parliamentarians to the Potsdam bridge." A German officer who arrived at the appointed place on behalf of the commander of the defense of Berlin, General Weidling, announced the readiness of the Berlin garrison to stop resistance. At 6 a.m. on may 2, General of artillery Weidling, accompanied by three German generals, crossed the front line and surrendered. From April 16 to may 8, the Soviet forces lost 352475 men, of which 78291 were irretrievably lost. The losses of Polish troops during the same period amounted to 8892 people, of which 2,825 were irretrievably lost. Losses of military equipment amounted to 1997 tanks and self-propelled guns, 2108 guns and mortars, 917 combat aircraft. Losses of German troops killed amounted to about 400 thousand people, prisoners about 380 thousand people. Part of the German troops were pushed back to the Elbe and capitulated to the allied forces. By 13 o'clock on may 9, the advanced detachment of the 6th guards tank army of the 2nd Ukrainian front entered Prague. The resistance of individual units of the SS divisions "Reich", " Viking "and" Wallenstein " continued until 16:00, when the Germans capitulated. The first time the German representatives signed the surrender in Reims, France, the second-near Berlin, about two days later, because the signing in Reims was not attended by representatives of the USSR, the surrender to the allies in Reims took place on the initiative of the Germans themselves, who were afraid of being captured by the red army. The representative of the Soviet Supreme high command Headquarters at the allied command in Susloparov did not receive clear instructions from the Supreme high command and signed an act with the reservation that this document may not be final. I. V. Stalin declared: "The Treaty signed at Rheims cannot be revoked, but it cannot be recognized. Capitulation must be made as an important historical act and accepted not on the territory of the victors, but where the fascist aggression came from-in Berlin, and not unilaterally, but necessarily by the Supreme command of all the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition." The second time the surrender was signed at midnight from 8 to 9 may 1945 in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst in the building of the former canteen of the military engineering school, the re-signing ceremony of the Act of surrender of Germany began. The Soviet side was represented by Marshal G. K. Zhukov and A. ya. Vyshinsky, while the Western allies were represented by British air Marshal A.V. tedder, American General Karl Spaats (commander of the us strategic air forces) and General J. D. de Tassigny (commander-in-chief of the French army). Germany was represented by field Marshal Keitel, Admiral of the fleet von Friedeburg, and Colonel-General of aviation Stumpf. The signing of the act in Karlshorst took place on may 8, 1945 at 22: 43 Central European time, and it entered into force, as it was agreed in Reims, at 23: 01 on may 8. However, according to Moscow time, these events occurred at 0: 43 and 1: 01 on may 9. This discrepancy in time was the reason why Victory Day in Europe became may 8, and in the Soviet Union – may 9. According to the results of the Yalta conference, the USSR pledged to transfer troops from Europe to the far East within 3 months after the end of the war with Germany and begin a large-scale offensive by August 8, 1945, in return for receiving the Kurils and southern Sakhalin. On August 8, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, and on August 9, launched an offensive and within 2 weeks inflicted a crushing defeat on the Japanese Kwantung army in Manchukuo. On September 2, at 9:02 Tokyo time (4:02 Moscow time), an act of unconditional surrender of Japan was signed on Board the USS Missouri. The state of war between the USSR and Japan was ended by the Joint Declaration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Japan of October 19, 1956. However, the peace Treaty between the USSR and Japan was never signed. Japan disputes Russia's ownership of the southern Kuril Islands — Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai group of Islands, which were ceded to the USSR according to the agreements of the Yalta conference. Total human losses reached 60-65 million people, of which 27 million people were killed at the front, many of them Soviet citizens. Germany lost up to 8 million soldiers and up to 3 million civilians. The USSR lost up to 9 million soldiers ( over 2 million in captivity) and up to 20 million civilians. The United States lost over 400,000 soldiers, including about 300,000 in the war with Japan, great Britain about 300,000 soldiers, Poland about 1 million soldiers and about 6 million civilians, Japan about 2 million soldiers and 700,000 civilians. Not counting other countries that lost up to half a million soldiers.
I believe that it is not worth considering who lost more and who less, who invested more in the victory and who less. The most important thing is that the victory was won over evil, together, helping each other as much as possible. Do not look for the most important winner. If it were not for the allied landings in Normandy and lend-lease assistance, the Soviet Union might have, and even most likely would have, defeated Hitler's Germany, but this would have happened at least 2-3 years later and additional losses would have amounted to several million people. The same is true for other members of the anti-Hitler coalition. It is necessary to respect the actions of all countries of the anti-Hitler coalition and honor the memory of all those who died. My greatest wish is that world war 3 never happened.
What do you think ?